MonkeyBug

What Your Child Care Fees Cover

What you pay to the childcare will guarantee the highest quality childcare, nutritious meals & snacks, and a safe, nurturing environment for your child. Your childcare fees provide my income including the taxes and CPP, which I pay in. Your fees pay for food, paper products, soap, and cleaning supplies, toys, play equipment, baby equipment, art & craft supplies, water, gas, electric, sewer and more, nap mats (cribs), special chairs & furniture, strollers, lots of repairs and wear and tear, entertainment expenses, paperwork & supplies, parties and special events, and all of the other things that your child will use.

Like other self-employed workers, Family Childcare providers do not receive the benefits many employees take for granted. These include health/dental insurance, life insurance, retirement/pension, paid personal days, personal vacation time, workers comp, flexible time off and unemployment insurance. These benefits often amount to as much as 35% of a person’s wages.

Family child care is a blessing to your family in that your children will have much more individual attention and opportunities for learning, and much less illness than center care.

Unlike other forms of self-employment, Family childcare is very restrictive in that there is no room for growth. The province dictates the size of my business. I cannot take time off for appointments or obligations without careful planning and covering of my responsibilities. To protect my rights and income, you will find that a guaranteed wage is part of my contract. Most people have a 40 hour workweek. Mine is 55 hours and up and that does not include my preparation, bookkeeping, paperwork, shopping or cleaning time.

I hope this gives you a better understanding about all the ways in which your childcare fees are applied.